Turner Plans to Enter Direct-to-Consumer Biz

Turner Broadcasting System said it plans to jump into the direct-to-consumer business with a couple of products by the end of the year.

At a luncheon get together with reporters in New York on Wednesday, Turner CEO John Martin offered few details about the product. He said it might be an offshoot of one of the company's networks or a brand extension aimed at superfans willing to pay for a subscription service.

CBS on Tuesday said that by the year 2020, it expected its over-the-top subscription products to generate $800 million in revenue, so this could mean real money.

Martin also expected Turner networks to be part of virtual MVPD services that could be launched this year. Turner is already on Sling TV and Sony’s PlayStation Vue service, but he said a breakthrough will come when someone manages to combine a great user interface with great content.